Yacht Charter Videos…try before you buy!

boat in actionThe team Boatbookings try our utmost to bring you the latest and best in chartering information, yachting destinations and exciting things to do and our new favorite way to bring you closer to your potential chartering experiences is through the medium of video. We proudly bring you six videos from various locations across the globe and hope you enjoy watching them in your spare time!

As much as we would love to spend our time cruising the coastlines of the world to bring you fantastic footage of the beauties and delights that yachting can bring you, there isn’t the time in the working day for us to cover everything, so if you have been somewhere that is worth shouting about and want us to feature it on the site please feel free to send us any photographs or videos of where you have been on your favorite charters! We look forward to hearing from you!
Please note, we will not show anything that shows recognisable faces or nudity and we reserve the right to edit any footage sent to suit the marketing restrictions of our website.

St Martin Boat Show “Concours de Chefs” Challenge Results

When you charter a crewed yacht, you expect the utmost in service and luxury, and one of the things that can make the charter for you is the food served to you whilst on board. At the St dessertMaarten-St Martin Boat Show a Concour’s de Chefs Challenge was held this year to praise and highlight the best. One of our Boatbookings USA Team was able to play a part in assisting in the event.  The theme this year, ‘The Spanish Influence on Caribbean Cuisine’, had to be expressed through the presentation of one entree and one dessert being judged not only on taste and appearance but also on the overall use of the theme, from table setting to the accompanying wine.

With only 30 minutes to get both dishes out onto the table, the challenge was a spectacle to behold, our Boatbookings team member was fortunate enough to get a guest spot on the splendid yacht Paramour. The meal was served alfresco style, overlooking the magnificent yachts docked in the marina. The service was impeccable, and timing was perfect. The crew was very friendly and upbeat, ready for the judging panel!

The results of the challenge are as follows
Division I (yachts over 140′):

    First – Guy Barrett of VA BENE
    Second – Nicolas Richert of LADY JOY
    Third – Christina Jones of TUSCAN SUN

Division II (yachts under 140′):

Best Dessert: Matthes Vanducci of CHEVY TOY

Best Crew Service, Ambience and Table setting:

    First – NAMOH
    Second – Tie with PARAMOUR and TUSCAN SUN
    Third – LADY JOY

Where does the word ‘Yacht’ come from?

Today the yacht is symbolic of luxury vessels that cruise the oceans and seas elegantly in pursuit of leisurely indulgence.  However, its origin is a little distant from this current image and heralds yacht imagefrom a time when Pirates pestered the shallow waters of the Low Countries of Europe.  The word yacht comes from the Dutch word jacht which means to hunt, the vessels described as jachtships where light, fast and used for pursuing (or hunting) the pirates and bucaneers that hounded the waters of these countries.  It wasn’t until King Charles II of England famously chose the vessel for his return to Britain from the Netherlands for his restoration to the throne that the yacht was then identified as a vessel to transport important people and consequently as a luxury item for the rich and famous. Today this luxury has become accessible to more people than ever with the facility to charter a yacht available to everyone who considers themself to be important.
Some information courtesy of Wikipedia

Arrrrggghhhh! Climb on board the star of Pirates of the Caribbean

image of UNICORN BrigThat's right, you can get on board the yacht used as the BLACK PEARL in the Pirates of the Caribbean films and re-enact your own Captain Jack Sparrow moment. The UNICORN Brig is a 140ft masterpiece replica of an 18th Century Brig Tall Ship and is a beauty to behold without the tattered sails given to her in the film.
Built in 1948 in Finland, she now offers daily tours starting from Rodney Bay Marin on St Lucia, taking in either the Botanical Gardens or the Toraille Waterfalls & Gardens and the Sulphur Springs of St Lucia in the Caribbean.  The trip even includes a hearty meal and traditional pirate rum punch, perfect for a fantasy family day out.

America's Cup stunt with a Motorbike!

A motorcycle daredevil from the Kiwi Crusty Demons yesterday backflipped over an America's Cup yacht in Auckland. Luke Smith became the first person in the world to perform this crazy stunt, falling the equivalent of 4 storeys once he had cleared the yacht.  When asked what was going on in his mind before going 'head over wheels' Luke admitted he was nervous and said:

“I wasn't sure how I was gonna end up you know. I wasn't sure if I was gonna over-rotate, or wMotorcyclist stuntas gonna be able to kick the bike away, but yeah, no it worked out great, there was nothing to worry about.”

Luke will continue to perform with the Crusty Demons in Auckland, though his motorbike, unfortunately, won't.  The America's Cup yacht belonging to the New Zealand team was not damaged in the stunt and awaits the onset of the New Louis Vuitton Cup Regatta to come to Auckland in next spring (see previous blog).

Information courtesy of 3news.co.nz